Palmetto High's Tre Clark thrives despite high expectations

Great point guards are often compared to Houdini because of their ability to perform magic on the basketball court.

Tre Clark has earned his way into that conversation with his ability to take pressure and make it his best friend.

Even before he landed a spot on the varsity for the Palmetto High School basketball team as a ninth-grader, the expectations around him were soaring so high they created a mountain that could have crushed him.

His dad, Willie, was a legendary prep football player in California. He played at Notre Dame, was a third-round NFL pick in 1994 and played five years in the NFL. His uncle Jamera starred in high school and football at Georgia Tech.

Oh, yeah, his dad was also the Palmetto principal.

If he felt the world was watching him, no one would've argued. But he showed an uncanny knack for turning pressure into motivation. Since childhood, he has had a way of figuring things out, which turned the senior's career into a memorable experience that earned him the boys basketball Bradenton Herald player of the year honor for 2015-16.

"Tre is very analytical and doesn't over-react. He likes to process things and think about things before he makes a decision," his dad said. "He is a smart kid, has always been book smart and likes to read. That all plays into his demeanor. Some people might look into him and say he is too calm, but he has a fire in his belly."

Tre also decided early that he would like to carve his own path, which is a big reason he chose basketball over football.

"I kind of always wanted to take a different route than my dad and uncle. It was like let them have football and I will play basketball," Tre said. "I got to the point where I wanted to make my own name and it motivated me to be an even better athlete than my uncle and my dad. It motivated me more than put pressure on me."

Tre's biggest competition came from his cousin Jordan Smith, who was a high-scoring guard at Palmetto and who just finished his collegiate career. Their mothers are sisters, and the competition between the two cousins is at times furious.

"It almost affected me more than it did with my dad and uncle. It was more of a competitive nature and it involved family," Tre said. "We would go to the gym a lot together, and we constantly competed. We played a lot of one on one against each. Who won? Let's say it was about even."

Palmetto head coach Reggie Bellamy threw Clark into the fire almost immediately when he put him on the varsity as a freshman. As a sophomore he was the starting point guard on a squad that featured two seniors (Jarrid Rhodes and Jordan Young), who led the team in scoring and took the Tigers to the regional final.

Rhodes and Young attracted a lot of attention and both are playing in college. But even as a sophomore people were watching Tre and followed him throughout his career.

"Each time I saw Tre throughout his high school career he was significantly better in a different facet of the game," said Scott Golden of Elite Basketball Services. "He is a hard worker with incredible attributes, a terrific young man and his best basketball is ahead of him."

Willie Clark was a little apprehensive about his son being put into a tough situation as a sophomore, but he felt confident he would do well because even though he can score, Tre prefers getting others involved.

As he has done so often, Tre turned the situation into a positive experience.

"They (Rhodes and Young) made it easier on me because they were such good players, and it took the pressure off," Tre said. "There was pressure as a freshman trying to play up to a certain level. It all seems like a blur now."

Tre kept getting better and finished his career with 1,120 points while averaging 24.7 points per game. A National Honor Society student, he received offers from six NCAA Division I colleges and signed with Furman University of the Southern Conference.

"Tre is the whole package," Furman head coach Niko Medved said. "He has terrific athleticism, good feel for the game and a skill level that allows him to play multiple positions. On top of that, he is a great kid and comes from a great family. We know that Tre will fit in great to our program and be a big part of what we do."

Alan Dell, Herald sports writer, can be reached at 941-745-7056. Follow him on Twitter A repeat first-team selection and three-year starter for Southeast, the 5-foot-10 senior is the quintessential point guard. He led the Seminoles with 176 assists (6.3 apg.) while averaging 13.6 points and 2.3 steals per game. He finished his career with 956 points and 423 assists.

Fast facts: Alexandrea was most noted for making his teammates better and it came to fruition last season when he helped spark the Noles to a district title. He comes from an athletic family that includes his father, Greg, who set the Sarasota High School high jump record (7-2) at the Junior Olympics in 1994. He credits his father and his mother, Shon Alexandrea, for having the biggest influence on his life and basketball career. He wants to major in business management in college and someday own his own business. He likes to play pickup games at Victory Rock Academy.

Up next: Has signed with State College of Florida where he will be reunited with SCF head coach Elliot Washington, who coached Alexandrea his freshman year at Southeast.

Ronald Taylor, Senior, Southeast

To his credit: A repeat first-team selection, he led the Seminoles in scoring three straight years, capped by his senior year (16.7 ppg.). He finished his senior season averaging 29.3 ppg. in the Noles' last three games, which included a district title and first regional win since 2004. In the last six games, he scored 30-or-more points four times. He ended his career with 1,503 points and was second team All-State Class 5A.

Fast facts: A very good student, Taylor said his favorite subject is history, but he also likes English because he is an avid reader. His highlight of the season was the Noles' victory against Gibbs in the district final when he scored 31 points. Also a scholar off the court, he said the hardest part of basketball is to not only play fast but think fast during a game.

Up next: Wants to play in college, hopes to be a preferred walk on at Florida State and eventually earn a scholarship.

Ryan Leunk, Senior, Bradenton Christian

To his credit: One of the area's most potent weapons led BCS in scoring (21 ppg.), and rebounding (8 rpg.) while averaging 3 assists per game while sparking them to the Class 2A state championship game. He leaves the program second in career-scoring (1,654 points) and third in career rebounds (791). He was named first team All-State Class 2A.

Fast facts: Just as successful in the classroom as on the court, he was local chapter president of the National Honor Society. He loved playing for BCS because he said it afforded him a chance to play with his "brothers" and show people the great game of basketball. He enjoys comedy movies (particularly Will Ferrell) and sports movies. Credits BCS assistant coach Eli Lofton for the extra time he took to make him a better player.

Up next: Plans to play in college and is considering offers from Samford University and Calvin College. Will be working in the gym to get stronger.

Vincent Rehfeldt, Senior, Bradenton Christian

To his credit: A playmaker who could score, the 5-11 guard broke the school's career assist record, finishing with 674. His senior year he averaged 9.6 assists and 8 points per game; he was the Panthers' second-leading scorer in the state final four, averaging 12.5 points per game.

Fast facts: It should be no surprise what Rehfeldt loves most about basketball is winning and, to that effect, racking up a lot of assists in making everyone around him better. He credits BCS head coach Scott Townsend and assistant Eli Lofton for helping him with his game. The National Honor Society member's goal in life is to help people while doing what he loves to do, which in his case would be entering the medical profession. Likes watching action movies, hanging out with friends and his favorite food is Chipotle.

Up next; Plans to attend Purdue University, where he will major in biology, and then medical school and pursue his dream of becoming a surgeon. Turned down multiple offers to play college basketball to concentrate on academics.

Damien Gordon, Sophomore, Lakewood Ranch

To his credit: He averaged 12.4 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field. He drained 39 3-pointers while connecting on 39 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. He averaged 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

Fast facts: A crafty athletic player, Gordon showed exceptional talent driving to the basket, a trait he learned from watching his favorite player, Allen Iverson. He credits a lot of his success to his mother, Jackie Garabito, who played high school basketball in Pennsylvania, and his step-father, Vianney Garabito, who played minor league baseball for the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds. He hopes to play professional basketball someday, either in the NBA or overseas, but if that doesn't work out he would like to be a personal trainer.

Up next: This summer he plans to play for his travel team, Impact Elite, and work out with the Lakewood Ranch basketball team lifting weights and improving his shooting.

Tre Clark, senior, Palmetto

To his credit: The four-year starting point guard led the Tigers in scoring last season (24.7 ppg.) while averaging 6.3 rebounds and 4 assists per game. As a junior, he averaged 19 points and 8 rebounds and finished his career with 1,120 points. He was named second-team All-State Class 7A.

Fast facts: Athleticism abounds in his family. His father Willie (Palmetto High principal) played football for Notre Dame and in the NFL for five years. His uncle, Jamera Clark, played football at Georgia Tech, and his first cousin, Jordan Smith, played four years of college basketball. An excellent student, Tre wants to major in business and pre-law in college; he said his favorite subject is math because he likes solving problems. He also enjoys history because he likes hearing about old stories from the past. He said he loves basketball because of its competitive nature and the history behind the game.

Up next: He has signed to play for NCAA Division I Furman University and will enroll early this summer to get ready for his freshman year.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Bayshore: Jaylen Pauley, sophomore

Braden River: Deoni Cason, junior

Bradenton Christian: Alex Telfair senior; Jake Lister senior, J.T. Noellert senior

Lakewood Ranch: Sam Hester, junior

Out-Of-Door-Academy: Amad Brayboy, junior

Palmetto: Kyle Edwards, senior

Southeast: Corey Davis, senior

This story was originally published May 14, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Palmetto High's Tre Clark thrives despite high expectations ."